Chairman for the University's Institute for Policy Research (IPR) Lord Eatwell will today, Thursday 4 February, announce a new Advisory Board of high-profile policy makers who will help take the influential policy institute into its next phase of development.

Today’s announcement, which comes two months after Professor Nick Pearce took over at the helm as Director of the Institute, represents another milestone for the IPR, which, since launching in 2013, has helped to bridge the gap between the worlds of policy and academic research.

Policy influence

Its new Advisory Board includes outstanding individuals with experience across different policy settings, including senior roles in government:

Lord Christopher Tugendhat is an active member of the House of Lords and formerly an EU Commissioner and MP, as well as a former Chancellor of the University of Bath.

Carey Oppenheim is Chief Executive of the Early Intervention Foundation and was formerly co-director of the IPPR think-tank and a Special Advisor in the Number 10 Policy Unit under Tony Blair.

Mats Karlsson, Director of The Swedish Institute of International Affairs, previously served as World Bank Vice President of External Affairs and UN Affairs and was World Bank Country Director for the Maghreb.

Marcial Boo, Chief Executive of IPSA, has held a number of senior positions across the public sector, including Director at the National Audit Office and Audit Commission, in addition to being appointed senior advisor to the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit.

Dawn Austwick is the Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund, prior to which she was Chief Executive of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Penny Young is Librarian and Director General of Information Services at the House of Commons and was previously Chief Executive of NatCen Social Research.

Paul Maltby, Director of Data and the Government’s Digital Service, leads teams in the Cabinet Office responsible for making better use of data across government.

Ryan Shorthouse is Chief Executive of the think-tank Bright Blue, having founded the organisation in 2010 aged 24. He is an expert on education and social policy and a well-regarded political commentator.

High profile academics

The Advisory Board also includes influential figures from academia, who have each delivered important policy impacts with their work:

Dr David Cleevely CBE chairs the Advisory Council for the Centre of Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge, which brings together leading figures in government, academia, civil society and business to provide high-level external advice to policy-makers.

Dr Ceridwen Roberts is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and was formerly Director of the Family Policy Studies Centre for 8 years.

Professor Jane Millar OBE, from the University's Department of Social & Policy Sciences, has been a principal or co-investigator on over 30 externally-funded research projects covering important social affairs themes. She has also been a Special Advisor to the House of Commons Select Committees, to the Department for Work and Pensions and the Number 10. In 2014, Professor Millar was elected Fellow of the British Academy.

Chairman of the IPR Advisory Board and President of Queen’s College, Cambridge, Lord John Eatwell, said: “The Advisory Board brings real wisdom and expertise to IPR’s work, and I am delighted that such a distinguished group of people from across government, civil society and academia will be helping steer and inform our research and programme activities in the months and years ahead.”

Professor Pearce, IPR Director, said: “The new IPR Advisory Board team will really help the Institute move into its next phase of development. Drawing on the skills and experience of individuals from across different policy settings and academia, each committed to improving the links between University research and public policy, will enable the IPR to expand the reach and range of its work.”

Through a comprehensive programme of research, teaching, public lectures and knowledge exchange programmes, the IPR is improving the links between policy and academic research.

Upcoming at the IPR

Forthcoming speakers at IPR include Lord Kerslake, the former Head of the Civil Service; Professor David Stasavage of NYU; Professor Janine Wedal, George Mason University; and Lord Willetts, former universities’ minister. Find out more - http://www.bath.ac.uk/ipr/events/index.html.